Once the catheter reaches the liver, TheraSphere is released and blood carries the beads into the tumor where they remain with a half-life of 64.2 hours. The beads are prevented from being swept from the tumor into other parts of the body because they are too large to fit through the livers capillary system.

HCC kills up to a half million people around the world each year, primarily in Africa and Asia due to the high prevalence of hepatitis in those regions. Hepatitis is the leading cause of primary liver cancer. In the United States, about 15,000 cases of HCC are diagnosed annually.

TheraSphere is produced by MDS Nordion, a subsidiary of Canadas largest health and life sciences company, MDS, Inc. TheraSphere is authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use as a humanitarian device for the treatment of liver tumors.

For more information, please contact the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Liver Tumor Service toll-free 877-640-6746 or 412-648-3200.

'"/>

Contact: Clare Collins
412-647-3555
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
19-May-2002